Like Sand Through an Hourglass: Behind the Scenes of DOOL

[Silver Raven]

The only Days actor to win an Emmy was Kyler Pettis for Best Younger Actor.

[QueenSerena]

Thrilled for Kyler, his sweet reaction showed how much it truly meant to him.

I'm not surprised Days was mostly shut out. They submitted some questionable episodes for Outstanding Drama Series, but the writing has really not been great for a while now. Ron still doesn't have the right take on so many characters and I'm tired of literally everything being about plot over solid characterization. And I love camp, but the characters still need to resemble themselves.

[CanaryFan98]

[DisneyBoy]

WHY?

[CanaryFan98]

Supposedly to save money but I'm not sure what exactly they're saving because their budget gets smaller every year.

[QueenSerena]

This is a nice resource to keep track of their estimated production schedule: http://www.jason47.com/days/productionschedule.html

Jason did get ahead in his estimate late last year/early this year, but has since corrected it as a result. It appears he's checking the accuracy of those statements before updating the estimate for this week, but he has it right around a 7 month ahead mark otherwise. It's entirely possible they're pre-filming some Christmas Eve/Day stuff, but they'd be getting into the season either way. Ken does misspeak on occasion, though I wonder if he may have stretched the truth a bit in support of his company's lawsuit against Sony here. It wouldn't surprise me if they do reach an 8 month gap at some point, I'm just not sure they're quite there yet. 🤷‍♀️

[Lisa418722]

I understand financially why they film so far ahead, but they have no way to change if a story isn't working since they are filming so far ahead. 

[DaphneCat]

5 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

I understand financially why they film so far ahead, but they have no way to change if a story isn't working since they are filming so far ahead. 

I guess I really don't understand the reasoning.  If they worked fewer hours, shooting fewer days, they would not be paying a lot of the hourly employees.  I don't know how the actors contracts work, but if they are being paid for appearances, it shouldn't matter in terms of money if they are shooting next week's scenes or next year's. 

If they want to get as much footage as possible while they have the entire crew they could do that  and go on hiatus for a while - until the story "caught up."  They wouldn't be paying all the hourly people, I'm sure they would be using the studio space for other projects, so it seems like it would mostly be storage costs for the sets.  And I think a lot of the actors would like it if they at least had an opportunity to do other projects.  Am I missing something?

[carrier76]

On 5/5/2019 at 10:55 PM, Silver Raven said:

The only Days actor to win an Emmy was Kyler Pettis for Best Younger Actor.

This is completely baffling.

[peachmangosteen]

I'm with you @DaphneCat on not understanding how taping 8 months ahead saves money. Can someone explain why that is?

[RachelKM]

14 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I'm with you @DaphneCat on not understanding how taping 8 months ahead saves money. Can someone explain why that is?

My understanding is that taping a higher volume of shows in a shorter time saves the show money by allowing them to have dark weeks in their shooting schedule during which time they save on overhead and hourly paid labor.

However, I don't understand how taping so far ahead is an advantage.  It would be one thing if they went on a full shooting hiatus which brought them to only a month or two ahead and then built up a the lead again.  But as I understand it, with an 8 month ahead shooting schedule, they never have less than 5-6 months in the can after any break.  I don't know why they need that much of a buffer in the bank if they don't intend to take that time off.

Edited May 7, 2019 by RachelKM

[A.J.]

On 5/5/2019 at 11:55 PM, Silver Raven said:

The only Days actor to win an Emmy was Kyler Pettis for Best Younger Actor.

This was a surprise to me, especially since he's been gone for so long.  I like Theo a lot and hate he left the show.  There is something so special about his portrayal.  It does't hurt that the actor is gorgeous as well.  Congrats, Kyler !!!!     

[DaphneCat]

16 minutes ago, RachelKM said:

However, I don't understand how taping so far ahead is an advantage.  It would be one thing if they went on a full shooting hiatus which brought them to only a month or two ahead and then built up a the lead again.  But as I understand it, with an 8 month ahead shooting schedule, they never have less than 5-6 months in the can after any break.  I don't know why they need that much of a buffer in the bank if they don't intend to take that time off.

Exactly, they could bang out a bunch of episodes (say 3 months worth) and then go dark.  A month before they ran out they could do it again.  They would still only be filming 4 times a year and if they decided a plot line wasn't working it would be much easier to fix it or dump it.

[SanDiegoInExile]

22 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

I understand financially why they film so far ahead, but they have no way to change if a story isn't working since they are filming so far ahead. 

The notion that storylines are changed based on fan reaction is long outdated and anecdotal at best.  The execs in charge see what works and what doesnt as they are producing the show.  They work within the constraints given to them by dwindling budgets, actor availability, network guidance/interference, and contractual limitations.  They scrap ideas and plot developments all the time, which is why we sometimes get a jumble. 

Filming so far ahead does have a major negative impact -- mostly because of the rabid fanbases, being so deep in bed with the soap media, and actors spilling info on social media.

Unless Ken Corday's plan is to have a solid year of product in the bank, ready to sell to the highest bidder, they are going to need a major filming hiatus at some point. 

ETA: I do think having an inventory is part of Corday's Plan for a post-Sony DOOL.  He will have valuable product in the form of a couple hundred hours of un-aired network quality content.  He can shop that around to interested parties as we move further and further away from scheduled daily appointment TV.

Edited May 8, 2019 by SanDiegoInExile

[RealHousewife]

On 5/5/2019 at 10:55 PM, Silver Raven said:

The only Days actor to win an Emmy was Kyler Pettis for Best Younger Actor.

Very happy for him! He is talented, adorable, and seems sweet.

[CanaryFan98]

On 7/22/2018 at 11:42 PM, Apprentice79 said:

 Jen Lilley said on dishin days that the show didn't go further with the Theresa and JJ storyline when she first came on in 2013 because Casey Moss looked too much like her little brother in real life and  it creeped her out.  She went to production and told them that she just couldn't do it. She said now CMo doesn't look anything like her brother, so she was fine with JJ & Theresa being revisited. Actors should not control the story, so, we got that stupid Thrady story.  We could have gotten JJ/Theresa storyline years ago, instead of  Eve/JJ and Paige/JJ. 

So now he doesn't? Erm sure. Regardless this is one of the rare instances where an actor's demands benefitted me as I never wanted a JJ/Theresa pairing. Other than it being weird in general I can't stand Theresa in the slightest.   

That being said I wouldn't take her being cool with it at face value either since she's not coming back to the show full time and unless they fire Casey or he chooses to leave JJ is going to stick around so they should invest in a love interest that will actually stay.

I don't get how making any of this public makes her look good though.

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

So now he doesn't? Erm sure. Regardless this is one of the rare instances where an actor's demands benefitted me as I never wanted a JJ/Theresa pairing. Other than it being weird in general I can't stand Theresa in the slightest.   

That being said I wouldn't take her being cool with it at face value either since she's not coming back to the show full time and unless they fire Casey or he chooses to leave JJ is going to stick around so they should invest in a love interest that will actually stay.

I don't get how making any of this public makes her look good though.

If that was the case, I would have told Jen Lilley "buh bye" (in the voice of David Spade from the SNL Total Bastard Airlines skit) and recast. I HATE IT when actors don't just STFU and do the job they are paid well to do. (The only exceptions I have are if the plot endangers the actor's mental/physical well being.)

[CanaryFan98]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

If that was the case, I would have told Jen Lilley "buh bye" (in the voice of David Spade from the SNL Total Bastard Airlines skit) and recast. I HATE IT when actors don't just STFU and do the job they are paid well to do. (The only exceptions I have are if the plot endangers the actor's mental/physical well being.)

Yeah I remember KDP having to play Blair losing her child while she was pregnant I wouldn't have given her that storyline considering but she did it anyways.

That being said since I don't want a JJ/Theresa pairing ever I'm glad they listened to her but like I said making this public doesn't reflect well on her and honestly it insults CM too because he is just doing his job and its not his fault. I don't think he likes most of the storylines JJ gets these days (I don't either) but  he has the good sense to keep it to himself lol.

[CanaryFan98]

[Apprentice79]

19 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Yeah I remember KDP having to play Blair losing her child while she was pregnant I wouldn't have given her that storyline considering but she did it anyways.

That being said since I don't want a JJ/Theresa pairing ever I'm glad they listened to her but like I said making this public doesn't reflect well on her and honestly it insults CM too because he is just doing his job and its not his fault. I don't think he likes most of the storylines JJ gets these days (I don't either) but  he has the good sense to keep it to himself lol.

Patsy Pease who played Kim was heavily pregnant with her second child and she refused to play another story where Kim lost a full term baby and that is how we got Theresa.  She had done a similar story with her first pregnancy and it was really traumatizing for her..  She was too scared of losing her job so she kept quiet about it, she never agreed with the show killing off Kim's first daughter.  I hated that story and it was so cruel of the writers to do that. Kim refused to take drugs to treat her pneumonia so that her baby girl would not be harmed by them. It was all for naught. 

Watching the show on youtube at the time that Theresa was born, it did seem like an afterthought. The writers were clearly not interested in her and there was tension between Patsy and the show for her refusal to play that story. Patsy was basically told that Charles who played Shane was more important than her, so she had to deal with it, period..

Edited May 13, 2019 by Apprentice79

[CanaryFan98]

I didn't know that I really think its crappy to do that to a pregnant woman. A job won't always be around but a child is forever.

[CanaryFan98]

[CanaryFan98]

There was a blind item floating around about a popular actor leaving a soap again it might be about GH and not Days

[WendyCR72]

Celebrity Dirty Laundry is the soap opera websites' answer to that old Weekly World News rag. You know, Bigfoot marries Elvis. They have zero credibility. I saw that BI. It's from SOD. But I doubt CDL knows anything.

[CanaryFan98]

While I don't take them at face value I could see this being about a GH actor and not Days. Given how one show has a normal taping schedule and the other tapes 8 months in advance.

[QueenSerena]

It's no secret that I think pretty highly of this man, but damn this was a lot to process:

Good for him, and it's a pretty good reminder that everyone is going through something, whether we can see it or not.

[CanaryFan98]

https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/542167/e-news-celebrates-soap-operas/

E! News Celebrates Soap Operas with a Daytime Drama Deep Dive

 


Soap opera stars reflect on past storylines and the genre’s longevity.

E! News contacted Soaps.com to let us know that they’ll be airing a special segment on soap operas on May 23. During their “daytime drama deep dive,” the E! channel will celebrate the genre’s longevity by featuring interviews with actors from Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless.

Hosted by Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST/PST, the segment will include the actors reminiscing about some of their wildest storylines. A few zany trips down memory lane will include Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless) recalling when Victor fed his former wife Julia’s lover dead rats while he was trapped in a basement and Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans Black, Days of our Lives) of course remembering her character being possessed by Satan, of which she says, “possession will be on my tombstone.” Meanwhile, General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) reveals, “The one that always pops into my head is we had to go catch a monkey that had a virus, and I said to Laura [Wright, Carly Corinthos] I think this is probably the end of my career today.”

In addition to the outlandish plots, Kristian Alfonso (Hope Brady Hernandez, Days of our Lives) relays that the adventure and romance of Bo and Hope is what she holds near and dear to her heart, while praising the fans as being “supportive through the good, the bad and the ugly.” Likewise, Laura Wright attributes General Hospital being on the air for 56 years to the fans and marvels at how they greet the actors they meet like they’re family.

More: Photo gallery of GH’s Nurses’ Ball

Of course, no soap opera retrospective would be complete without clips from Luke and Laura’s (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis) wedding on General Hospital and Marlena’s aforementioned possession. There will also be scenes of Victor’s schemes and a story from General Hospital’s casting director Mark Teschner about Meghan Markle’s acting debut in Port Charles before she became the Duchess of Sussex. Other actors to appear in the special include Days of our Lives’ Drake Hogestyn (John Black), General Hospital’s Kristina Wagner (Felicia Scorpio) and The Young and the Restless’ Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore).

[Irlandesa]

21 minutes ago, QueenSerena said:

It's no secret that I think pretty highly of this man, but damn this was a lot to process:

Good for him, and it's a pretty good reminder that everyone is going through something, whether we can see it or not.

I'm glad to see he wasn't shilling anything and was just honest about what he went through.

But that's not the reason I responded, does he look more like Ben in the "now" pic or is it just me?

[Silver Raven]

19 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Hosted by Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST/PST

One of my pet peeves: When people say EST and mean EDT.  Not your quote, @CanaryFan98, you were just quoting them.

[bannana]

On ‎5‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 7:08 PM, Irlandesa said:

I'm glad to see he wasn't shilling anything and was just honest about what he went through.

But that's not the reason I responded, does he look more like Ben in the "now" pic or is it just me?

He also clearly worked out, a lot.  

[CanaryFan98]

This is way more interesting than the actual show.

BTW did anyone remember a story about Days rigging the SOD awards back in the day? I can't be the only one who's heard this story or was this just some wild rumor that took a life of its own.

[CanaryFan98]

[WendyCR72]

5 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

This is way more interesting than the actual show.

BTW did anyone remember a story about Days rigging the SOD awards back in the day? I can't be the only one who's heard this story or was this just some wild rumor that took a life of its own.

Ron used to give attitude to the GH fans, too. I'll be the first to admit Twitter can be full of assholes and crazies. But even the respectful criticism he would receive would set Ron off on a tantrum. And considering the puddle that is the soap community now, you would think he would try to keep viewers tuned in, not fighting with them. But Ron has a big ego, so...yeah.

[Silver Raven]

10 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Ron used to give attitude to the GH fans, too. I'll be the first to admit Twitter can be full of assholes and crazies. But even the respectful criticism he would receive would set Ron off on a tantrum. And considering the puddle that is the soap community now, you would think he would try to keep viewers tuned in, not fighting with them. But Ron has a big ego, so...yeah.

If by attitude, you mean blocking people (like me) who disagree with his story lines, then yeah, he gave attitude to us.

[WendyCR72]

3 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

If by attitude, you mean blocking people (like me) who disagree with his story lines, then yeah, he gave attitude to us.

Oh, I've heard many say that, too. Some he sparred with. Others, he just outright blocked. Either way? Not the way to keep an audience. What a big baby.

[Irlandesa]

But ultimately, if anyone thinks this will get him fired, it's pretty unlikely.

[peachmangosteen]

Remember when he called some kid's principal because the kid said something mean about him/GH on twitter? Ah, memories!

Although, I have to say, that 'Shut up' Mean Girls reply was pretty funny.

[WendyCR72]

7 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Remember when he called some kid's principal because the kid said something mean about him/GH on twitter? Ah, memories!

Although, I have to say, that 'Shut up' Mean Girls reply was pretty funny.

THAT'S what I was trying to remember! The school principal thing. Yeah, good times. If "good times" means "batshit crazy".

[Jaded]

I missed the school principal thing whenever it happened. I tried googling but couldn't find any details. Anyone remember enough to give a bit more in regards to details then what's already been mentioned?

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, Jaded said:

I missed the school principal thing whenever it happened. I tried googling but couldn't find any details. Anyone remember enough to give a bit more in regards to details then what's already been mentioned?

Just what somebody said above: Some GH viewer was going back and forth with Ron and he threatened to call their school principal or whatever. Just a complete shitshow!

[QueenSerena]

For any Willena fans:

😊

[QueenSerena]

There's the teeniest little spoiler in Ali's interview, so I'll put the full picture of it behind a spoiler tag:

[Vixenstud]

While never a fan of Carrie, CC looks great and she has beautiful girls.

[DisneyBoy]

I'm glad she could come back...we haven't seen her since the Prague storyline/death of Stefano.

[CanaryFan98]

[Apprentice79]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 2:53 PM, Vixenstud said:

While never a fan of Carrie, CC looks great and she has beautiful girls.

I love Carrie. I still remember that little girl  tearfully imploring a comatose Marlena to come back to life.  Christie Clark was such a great actress as a little girl and Sherry gave her such great heavy material and she always rose to the occasion.  Her chemistry with RoJohn as father/daughter was on fire. The best father/daughter team in daytime.   Carrie had so much potential but was wasted as a character. 

[howmanywords]

1 hour ago, Apprentice79 said:

I love Carrie. I still remember that little girl  tearfully imploring a comatose Marlena to come back to life.  Christie Clark was such a great actress as a little girl and Sherry gave her such great heavy material and she always rose to the occasion

I always loved Carrie. The week I started watching Days my grandma had it on and one of the very first scenes I can still vividly remember was when a very young Carrie was in a coma and Wayne Northrop's Roman (the REAL Roman!) tearfully read the Christmas Story to her. Christie came on a little while later and always did such a great job with anything she was handed.

[Apprentice79]

7 minutes ago, howmanywords said:

I always loved Carrie. The week I started watching Days my grandma had it on and one of the very first scenes I can still vividly remember was when a very young Carrie was in a coma and Wayne Northrop's Roman (the REAL Roman!) tearfully read the Christmas Story to her. Christie came on a little while later and always did such a great job with anything she was handed.

No matter what they gave her, she excelled.. Carrie was a three dimensional character as a child and tween. She could be brave, in standing up to Stefano when he kidnapped her, loving and protective of Rojohn and she could be bratty and dismissive of Isabella when she first got with Rojohn.  She really kept the family together after Marlena died. I know that I am a minority on here but she should have been the leading heroine of her generation. 

Christie had it my opinion, beautiful, talented and the ability to generate chemistry with her co-stars. It is too bad that the writers fucked up her characterization because they don't know how to write a heroine without making her boring, self-righteous and hypocritical. I get why some people hated Carrie but, it just pissed me off how badly she was written.  She could have been so much more.

[CanaryFan98]

[DisneyBoy]

Thank you for posting that tweet from Jen L. I thought as much.